APRIL 21, 2001

Ford slugs it out with Bridgestone-Firestone

THE Ford Motor Company is continuing its robust defense of its products in the scandal over accidents involving its Explorer sports utility vehicle and Firestone tires. The company has just issued a report which blames the crashes on the design and manufacturing of the Firestone products. The report concludes that the tires were failing more often than other brands of tires.

According to official figures accident claims relating to the failures now number 170 deaths and 500 injuries.

Bridgestone has reacted by saying that the accidents cannot be assessed with looking at "a complex interaction" which includes the design of the Explorer.

The authorities are yet to decide who is to blame for the accidents but whatever the case it is going to be a while before relations between Ford and Bridgestone-Firestone warm up again.